Journalist: Everton and selling club £5m apart on advanced midfielder talks
The Everton supporters have been patiently waiting since the transfer window opened on January 1 for some much-needed first team investment.
As it stands, however, the Toffees have only signed 17-year-old defensive prospect Jarrad Branthwaite.
If new manager Carlo Ancelotti is going to get his team heading in the right direction this month then he’s going to need some additions as soon as possible.
Luckily, then, it appears that the Toffees are close to pulling off a much-needed signing. Italian journalist Nicolo Schira claimed on his personal Twitter account on Saturday that the club are in advanced talks with Inter Milan for midfielder Matias Vecino.
He claims that the Toffees have offered around £12million, but that the Serie A giants are looking for closer to £17million for the Uruguay international.
However, director of football Marcel Brands has a contract until 2024 ready for the 28-year-old to sign once a fee is agreed.
Could Vecino be on his way to Goodison Park?
It certainly sound like progress is being made, even if there’s a fair way still to go before Vecino’s an Everton player.
£5million isn’t nothing, but it’s the sort of price difference that gets whittled down the closer we get to the window closing next Friday. Hopefully by then Vecino will be a Toffee.
It does seem like Inter want to offload him, and he’d have the chance to play regular football under a world class manager in the best league in the world. So, you’d think a deal will get done. Still, we remain sceptical until he’s official signed.
In other Everton news, the club could be about to benefit from an unexpected transfer bonus this month.